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Forum Discussion
UX feedback about "Join Folder" button when clicking on a shared link
As I share links (created via OS folder view) to customers, i have had several of them clicking "Join Folder" as they think that is the priority way of dealing with the link they received. My purpose...
Hi Hannah, I'm running into this issue as well. Our clients are also getting confused by the blue highlighted "Join Folder" button vs "Download". This isn't just one client, it's dozens for us so this isn't a one off and it is most certainly a UX issue. Regardless of whether we set the link to "Can View" vs "Can Edit" doesn't change the row of buttons on top.
Unless I'm completely wrong on how to share links, the solution stated above doesn't seem to change the button options.
Nancy
Dropbox Staff
Dropbox StaffHi eternam! Sorry for jumping in.
The folders that you’re sharing with your clients, are they already shared perhaps, or are they personal/regular ones? If you’re not sure about the distinction, you can also check this Help Center article; you can tell the difference by the different folder icons.
- hi Nancy, we send out 20-100 Dropbox links a week. All of them are view only shared folders.
a recent change in UI has led to constant requests for write access, and our customers cannot access their files until we stop and approve each one. I've had six in the last 30 hours, and roughly 15 emails about them, because they keep going back and clicking join repeatedly. 15 might be low. like they should be able to do with a final delivered product that shouldn't require admin intervention to approve them. Hi Nancy,
The folders are initially teams folders, with the building icons. We create a folder, upload our files and then we share the folder. In the outward facing link that gets generated and sent to client, those folders are solid blue. And when I hover over a folder or file, there are two options to either "Copy to Dropbox" or "Download", which has always been the case. And that's great. I can replicate this whether I'm logged in or logged out, using different Dropbox accounts, and using incognito tabs, just as a client would see them. And there's no problem downloading folders or files.
The issue that I'm describing is that clients seem to get confused and instead of clicking "Download" they click "Join Folder" because it's the brightest thing on their screen.
Part of it is us letting the client know to click the "Download" button and ignore "Join Folder" but it would be more intuitive if Dropbox either moved the "Join Folder" over so it's not the first thing they see and/or highlight the "Download" button instead.
I attached a screenshot of the row of buttons. For whatever reason, clients instinctively click on Join folder. I get a dozen automatically generated emails every week asking to join folders, when they clearly have access to all of the files.- Walter
Hey eternam - sorry to jump in and thanks for your feedback on this.
I've logged it in our system - you can let us know if you have anything else to add.
As I use DropBox integrated to my file/folder structure, I copy the link for customers via "right-click-menu" (Win).
And like Eternam, i have received multiple "join requests".
I do not know which parameters DropBox automatically uses for this kind of link-share (Can View/Can Edit). Not related to this issue, but I would suggest that the automated parameter would be "Can View" - or even something that user could select/define within settings.
